Three Delivery  I Wait
by crystalquirt
Summary: This is a re write in third person of 'I Wait'  already posted.  And the story has been continued. The story starts immediately after a fight, where, after Tobey had been missing for days, Kong Li . . .


**I wait**

by ~crystalquirt

Tobey pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself even thinner, trying to be invisible.

Unable to stand not knowing how close he was, Tobey tilted his head forward just a little, but quickly sucked in his breath as he pulled his head back against the wall. He did it so quickly, he banged his head. Biting his lip and holding his breath to keep from groaning out loud, Tobey froze.

When the pain passed, only his eyes moved, as he measured the distance between the ground and the bottom of the fire escape, a short distance away. Tobey heard a footstep and the crack of Kong Li's staff as he struck an empty cardboard box, thinking his prey might be hiding there. Tobey breathed a sigh of relief, but realized he wouldn't make it to the fire escape. Kong Li was too close.

Tobey frowned when he thought again, that this man that was looking for him, intending to hurt him, or capture him, was really his dear old dad. He'd been hiding and running for days, as Kong Li tried to capture him. He didn't dare go home. Going home would put the others in danger.

The boy with the white patch of hair wore a stern expression for only a moment, as he heard Kong Li make another noise. It was a garbage can that was magically picked up, with a wave of his father's hand, and thrown across the alley. Tobey's expression softened from anger, to a fearful one.

"Tobey! Come out of there. You and I both know you're trapped. I don't even have to hurry, I can just wait here until you come out on your own." Kong Li sat on the overturned trash can, and continued. "How long do you think you can take the suspense? I know you're not very patient."

Tobey remained silent, and very still, except for his stomach muscles as he tried hard to breathe without a sound. Wait, I have to wait.

His mind was racing. What do I do? I can't let him catch me! Wait. It's been this long, I can wait a little longer.

I don't know how many days ago, really. When I was fighting with Sid and ran into Kong Li, we were caught completely off-guard. I guess we were both too mad to be paying attention to our surroundings. But Sue wasn't. She was ready, and saved both of us.

Tobey quietly shifted his weight from one foot to the other and when he leaned back against the wall again, his hand went to cover his mouth as he remembered something else.

I can't believe it, but Kong Li just almost caught me just now and now I've trapped myself in this alley.

Kong Li said he would take me back. He thinks he can just take me away from my real family and I'll do what he wants. He's dreamin'! He only wants me, now that Nana has taught me to be a good fighter.

Tobey wiped sweat off of his brow, moving slowly and silently. It sounded like Kong Li still hadn't moved.

He's just dragging this out to torture me. He's hoping I'll make a mistake - that I'll just rush out to fight him.

"Tobey!" Kong Li called, laughing, "Come out. Don't tell me you're chicken."

Tobey heard Kong Li laugh and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. I'm not chicken, I'm braver than Sue or Sid, but I gotta admit, Sue was so brave and thanks to her, I got away at least for a short time.

I'm glad that when I ran, Kong Loser chased me and left my friends alone. I think Sue was hurt when she saved us, and Sid really needed to help her without having to deal with Kong Li first.

Tobey took a deep, silent breath. I hope Sue - I hope they're both okay. 

Tobey patted his side, looking for his phone, to be sure the sound was turned off, and to make sure the GPS was turned on. But gasped, My phone's gone! I must have lost it while I was fighting! Dammit. . .

Tobey's head fell forward, chin on his chest. He felt like giving up. Really, he was exhausted and sore all over. Running his fingers through his hair to smooth it back, he noticed his fingers were shaking.

I wish I could go check on Sue and Sid, but if I do somehow make it back to Wu's garden, then my father, will know where to find me for sure . . . Dad. That's a joke. Right? Sid, Sue and Nana are my real family! 

Without my phone, I don't even know what time it is. It's night time at least so it'll be easier to hide. But then what? It's been days I'm sure, since I ate anything. I wish I was home now. I wish I didn't get mad at Sid and throw that stupid tantrum. If I were home, I'd be reading my Robo Cats Rule comic books. Or Sid would be teasing me about reading them. I promise I will never get mad at him when he teases me again, not even about being stinky. Just let me get out of this, and back to my family. I even miss Mr. Wu yelling at me. 

Tobey startled and pressed himself even more tightly against the wall. He could hear Kong Li walking toward him.

Tobey realized that the white patch in his hair glowed in the moonlight like the moon itself.

With his hands pressed to his forehead, he hoped to stay hidden, as he squatted down to sit on his heels. He turned his hips so his knees were against the wall.

At least my white tank top is dirty enough that it's almost as gray as the alley dirt. Tobey had a brief, brighter thought.

He stayed perfectly still as Kong Li stepped from behind the corner, and into his line of sight.

Sue

Sue held her side still, as she got up from the booth in the restaurant's dining room. No one was watching her. She walked to the front door, thinking, We have to find Tobey! He's out there someplace, in danger! 

It had been days since the fight, and their Nana, Mei Hua thought Sue was just sore. Mei Hua didn't object, and even encouraged them to go out and look for Tobey again.

Sue heard Sid yell, "Hurry up," as he took off on his bike.

Sue watched him peddle away, thinking, Sid didn't know I was hurt, I haven't told anyone, and guess I hide it well, and really, I'm not, I can't be.

Sue took a deeper breath, and it hurt. She held her arm against her side briefly before she got on her bike, bracing herself for an uncomfortable ride.

"I can't be hurt until we know Tobey is safe." she whispered.

Sue thought back about the bang on the head, and the crushing blow to her body that she took when the bricks from a wall, blasted by one of Kong Li's fireballs came down on her.

Mei Hua had been down in the pantry for days. She knew Kong Li was up to something, but didn't know what. And then, when Tobey didn't come back with Sue and Sid, Mei Hua got out different recipes and worked several different spells, trying to find Kong Li and Tobey. 

Mr. Wu and Barney were oblivious. Barney didn't even notice that Tobey was gone. Mr. Wu noticed, once, but thought Tobey was just goofing off someplace.

Mei Hua didn't bother to tell her son and grandson, since it would only make them worry. Also telling them that Tobey was missing might result in having to tell them why.

Barney and Mr. Wu would really freak out if they knew what Sid, Sue, Tobey and Mei Hua had been doing all that time.

While she strained to breathe a little harder from pedaling, Sue thought about how badly Mr. Wu would freak out if he knew Mei Hua was doing magic, and we had such a powerful, evil enemy.

No one would understand that we have to try to stop him, we are the only ones who could. Every time Kong Li comes up with a new plan to destroy us, Chinatown and the whole world we have to be there, and we have to get Tobey back with us. 

Tobey had never been gone this long before, even when Sid teased him and makes him mad, he usually just goes to the arcade and the ice cream shack for a few hours. This time Kong Li is after him and he won't give up.

I know Sid feels awful, and he just keeps repeating that he wishes he could take everything back, but once mean spirited words are spoken, it's too late. 

Sid was standing up, pedaling as fast as he could go. Sue mumbled "Sid took the teasing too far when he called Tobey stink-butt."

Sue was keeping up, until the chain came off her bike's gears.

"Sid! Wait up!" She yelled, but he didn't. Even if he heard her, he was too upset to wait.

Instead of trying to fix her bike, Sue watched Sid's signal, a little red dot on her phone's map of Chinatown.

Sue wished that she would see two little red dots flashing together. That would mean that Sid had found Tobey and this nightmare was over. Sid

Sid stood on his pedals most of the way up a hill, until he got a pain in his own side. He stopped, leaning down over his handlebars to try and catch his breath.

"Sue'll catch up." Sid reasoned, "I know she's got me on her phone's GPS. She hasn't turned it off since Tobey went missing."

I don't think Kong Li will hurt him, at least not physically, but he is capable of hurting Tobey, in so many other ways, I'm sure I can't even imagine. WE have to find Tobey and pray that Kong Loser hasn't found him yet.

Sid stood up on his pedals to finish getting up the hill after that brief rest. He stayed standing as he started back down the hill on the other side, and his bike slid around the first corner he came to he was going so fast. Sid kept his bike upright, but scared himself a little. He touched his brakes to slow down.

"If I crash it'll just waste time that Tobey might not have." Sid's cell phone rang and he answered, "Hello."

"I'm behind you about I block. I went down Orchard to check around the Ice Cream Shop." Sue said quickly.

"Tobey won't go there, or to Wu's Garden, while Kong Li is still chasing him." Sid said, solemnly.

"What's the plan, then?" Sue asked.

"I really have no plan," Sid answered, "except that I want to find Kong Li, as much as I hope we find Tobey."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid finding one, we might find both. What if Kong Li has found him?"

"Tobey could be suffering terribly and it's all my fault! Why was I such a jerk to him? I've called him stinky lots of times, but never said his black and white skunk hair matched his stinky skunk smell. I guess for him, teasing him about his hair was going too far."

"It'll be okay, Sid."

"Yeah, we'll find him, but I don't understand why Kong Li took off after Tobey that time. Usually Kong Li just runs away after we beat him."

"But we didn't beat him, remember? I was down, and you had to dig me out from under the bricks. Tobey took off, trying to protect us, to keep Kong Li's attention and give you time to help me."

"You're right." Sid said, "Tobey saved us, but unfortunately for Tobey, his plan worked. He's probably still on the run."

"Right, since Eugene saw him yesterday, he probably hasn't been captured. We have to find him and stop Kong Li before it's too late."

"Yeah but Tobey told Eugene to tell us that the Loser was still after him. It might already be too late."

"Sue, I thought I lost you, and I'm glad you're okay, but I'm not sure I haven't lost Tobey. Even if he's okay, he might never talk to me again."

"Hey, are those flashes of light, ahead in the alley - headlights?" Sue pointed.

"No, that's not just headlights from the cars on the next block. It's magic. Kong Li magic."

"Let's Go!"

Daddy

Kong Li looked right at Tobey. It was like he knew where he was all the time. Kong Li smiled the most maniacal smile Tobey had ever seen.

Tobey panicked, like a trapped animal and jumped into the air, he was airborne almost over Kong Li's head, but it was too late.

With a simple wave of his hand, Kong Li trapped Tobey in a clear bubble mid-jump. Tobey smashed into the inside of the bubble and made it oval and wavy for a moment.

Tobey screamed, "No! Let me go!"

He landed on his feet and started kicking and punching the magical force shield. He knew it was futile, even if he had been feeling his best, but he'd been three days without eating so his fight with the bubble didn't last long.

Following the magical lights and flashes Tobey make when he tried to kick his way out of the bubble, Sid and Sue came to the entrance of the alley, but the flashes turned to a steady glow.

Tobey was at the center of the glow, being held suspended in the air. He looked as if he was frozen. Kong Li held both hands out toward Tobey and chanted an incantation that Sue and Sid hadn't heard before.

"Stop!" Sue yelled, "Stop whatever you're doing to him!"

Kong Li heard her, but didn't look over at her and Sid, he knew they were there even before she yelled, but all his attention was on the spell he worked on Tobey.

Kong Li finished the last line of the spell and turned around to face Sue and Sid. They were running at him, but stopped in their tracks when he turned to face them.

"You're too late." Kong Li laughed maniacally. "He's Mine! My son - I've taken him back!"

Behind him, the magic that had been holding Tobey suspended dissolved, and he dropped to the ground unexpectedly.

Sue cried, "Tobey" thinking he'd been hurt for sure.

Kong Li stepped to the side, so they could see their friend clearly. Tobey was getting up, slowly.

Sid stepped forward, "Tobey, run to us! We'll keep Kong Loser busy!"

"You'll be too busy with me," Tobey said, in monotone, and charged them.

"Tobey No!" Sid yelled and held his hands toward Tobey to protect himself.

Tobey slid to a stop in front of Sid, and used a round kick, kicking his hands away. Sid recovered quickly and blocked Tobey's next kick.

Tobey tried a palm strike to Sid's head, but he blocked it too. Sid successfully blocked each of Tobey's subsequent strikes, but didn't try to hit or kick him back.

Sue begged, "Tobey please stop! Whatever Kong Li did to you, we're your real family."

When she noticed that her words seemed to have no effect, in a desperate effort, she went after Kong Li. Her first round kick knocked his red dragon staff out of his hands.

"Stop or I'll kill him!" Tobey said, not showing any emotion. His speech sounded almost robotic.

Sue looked over. He had Sid on his knees, in a choke hold, already applying enough pressure that Sid was obviously uncomfortable, and rendered quite helpless by the smaller boy's skill, but also, Sid didn't want to hurt him. He still hoped Tobey would snap out of it.

"Tobey, no!" Sue cried. "How could you?"

"He will always protect me now." Kong Li interrupted. "As a good son should help, and protect his father."

"It can be of his own will - what did you do to him?" Sue cried.

"I just helped him understand. He is mine now."

"Tobey, kill Sid." Kong Li ordered.

Sid grabbed at Tobey's arms with both hands as Tobey tightened the hold he had on his neck.

Sue charged at Tobey, "Don't do it Tobey, he's your best friend! Like your brother!" she pulled up just short of striking him, to give him a chance to remember.

Sid looked up and gasped. His lips were blue.

"Sid - Tobey, let him go!"

Seeing her brother was actually being strangled by her best friend, Sue followed through with a high kick, missing Sid, and aimed right at Tobey's head.

To avoid Sue's kick, Tobey ducked, releasing Sid. Tobey blocked her kick with one forearm, and shoved Sid away with the other. He jumped up , striking at Sue. Sue blocked Tobey's attack, blow by blow.

Sid fell on his side, coughing and trying to catch his breath.

The one palm strike that Sue couldn't block, hit her sore ribs so hard that she crumpled to her knees gasping.

"Leave them my son." Kong Li instructed, "We have more important work to do."

Sid rolled up on his knees, and watched Tobey leaving with Kong Li. Looking for Sue he saw she wasn't up, in fact she was lying on her side on the damp pavement, gasping and coughing and holding both arms crossed around her ribs.

"Sue! You're hurt." Sid crawled over to her.

"Sid, I 'm sorry I couldn't save him. I tried, I really did."

"I know you did Sue, don't worry, we'll have another chance to save him. I'm calling Nana, just lay still and catch your breath."

"Sid, did you find Tobey?" Nana asked as she ran toward them only seconds later.

"Yeah Mei Hua, we found him, but we were too late. Kong Li has some kind of spell on him. Tobey fought us, and left with Kong Li."

"It's worst than I thought. Tobey is a strong fighter, as all three of you are, but if Kong Li has him under some kind of spell, there's no way of guessing if there are any side effects."

"Nana, I think Sue's hurt more seriously than she's admitting. Tobey punched her in the ribs, and she's awake, but is having a lot of trouble catching her breath."

"Stay put, I'll be right there."

With her bag of herbs and medicinal spices, Nana, Mei Hua followed Sid.

Sid leaned over Sue with a worried expression on his face. Sue was lying on her side, still trying hard just to breathe and holding her arms crossed over her stomach.

"Don't - w-worry." Sue gasped, "I'll be okay - I just need . . ."

"Shhhh, just concentrate on catching your breath Sis." Sid took off his yellow bike shirt and rolled it up. He put it under her head.

"Do you feel pain anywhere besides your chest?" Nana asked.

"No, well, maybe."

"Damn that Tobey, I didn't think he'd ever go so far as to hurt you this badly." Sid said.

"It wasn't Tobey,"

"I know, Kong Li did something to him, he was controlling him somehow."

"No, I mean, Kong Li did it, but it happened a few days ago when we were first attacked. I think I have a couple of cracked ribs."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sid stammered, "You shouldn't be out here fighting!"

"I'm not gonna stay home and rest - while Tobey's in danger."

"I know, but . . . I guess I'd do the same thing. But what if you're seriously hurt? I'll be alone in the fight." Sid spoke softly.

"I'm fine, and Nana will help." Sue struggled to sit up. Sid helped her sit up.

"You should lie still and let me check you out, Sue." Mei Hua instructed.

"No, I'm fine."

"Sue thinks she got broken ribs in the fight from a few days ago, and Tobey just hit her again." Sid said, and Sue gave him a dirty look.

"An-jing Sid, it's not that bad. Tobey wouldn't have done it if he was in control of himself." Sue winced and grabbed her side.

"Nana, don't you have some herbs or something that will heal me, or at least keep me together until we find Tobey?"

Breathing easier, Mei Hua gave her a vial full of liquid from her satchel. Sue made a face when she smelled it.

"I know it's flavor is strong but drink it all." Mei Hua said.

"Strong? It wreaks!" Sue cried. She choked the small amount of liquid down, and waved her Nana away, indicating she could stand up on her own.

"It will help, your muscles will relax around the injury and help with the pain so you can breathe easier."

"So it's worth the stench and horrid taste. I'm feeling better already."

"Nana, Tobey and Kong Li went down the alley, that way." Sid pointed. "We should stay after them."

"Your right and I'll stay with you two. I brought a few tricks."

Sue and Sid jumped on their bikes, and Mei Hua took to the rooftops. After only two blocks, Nana spotted Kong Li and sent a silent text message to Sid and Sue's phones.

They met outside the abandoned building that Tobey and Kong Li went into.

"What would they be doing here?" Sue asked, knowing that Sid and Nana had no more information that she did.

"Isn't this that rendering plant that got shut down a few years ago for questionable practices?"

"I'm sure it's the same place." Sue answered, "They showed this building on the news recently, saying that the city would be bulldozing it."

"Wait here for me," Nana said quickly, "I'm going to the roof to look the place over. We need an entrance that Kong Li might not know about."

Sid and Sue waited impatiently, but silently until Mei Hua sent them text message, to join her on the roof.

They quickly climbed and leapt up the fire escape. In only seconds they were standing next to Mei Hua. She motioned at a large sky light that was open just a few inches. Sid carefully opened it, to keep it from squeaking.

Below they could see and hear Kong Li and Tobey, below.

"Yuck," Sid whispered, "This place stinks so badly. No wonder they closed it."

"Rendering plants always stink. And they're dangerous. See that huge tank down there?"

"Yeah, it's odd that its bubbling."

"I'm sure Kong Li started it up again." Mei Hua whispered, "It looks like it was still full of rotting animal parts, dogs, cats, hooves and heads of livestock and other left over parts. He must be experimenting with a new recipe."

"Ewe gross." Sue gasped, and covered her mouth fearing her comment had been too loud.

"Hope it wasn't what he used to control Tobey."

"All we have to do, is silently climb through the ski light. See those cables below?" Mei Hua asked.

"Yeah, we can reach them." Sid said.

"But they are right over that huge boiling tank. Its big enough to cook two trucks in."

"Yes, children. Be sure you don't let go of the cables. Climb down behind those stacks of barrels and we'll have a good chance of getting in unseen."

AS they climbed through the ski light, Kong Li's voice rose. Tobey was holding his head, and seemed in pain. Kong Li was yelling at him. Sid, Sue and Nana hesitated to listen.

"Do as I say, Son!"

"No, it seems wrong. This whole thing seems wrong. And this place is disgusting, even for me."

Sue was so excited she could hardly contain herself. He's fighting Kong Li's control!" she whispered.

"I told you," Kong Li answered Tobey, "you are to be by my side when I finally succeed in defeating my enemies and taking over Chinatown, and this vat of animal parts will let me make enough of the recipe all at one time, to finally do it."

"Look you, I don't know why you think you have to take over Chinatown. Seems like a pretty small aspiration to me. I'm leaving."

"No you aren't, and call me dad. I am your father."

"Right, dad." Tobey looked confused, and still held one hand to his head. "But - no, this doesn't feel right."

Kong Li grabbed Tobey's arm when he turned to walk away. Tobey swung his arm back, and broke Kong Li's grip. Lightning fast, Kong Li palmed Tobey in the center of his chest, and followed with a strike to his cheek.

"Oh - OW!" Tobey cried and went to his knees holding his cheek.

"Shit, Nana hurry!" Sue cried at Mei Hua, "Kong Li is hurting him!" Mei Hua was in front of her, hanging from the cable.

"Shhhh." Nana cautioned, but it seemed that they weren't heard.

"Sorry Son," Kong Li said quickly, "But you made me hit you. I can't let you leave, I just got you back for good, and I need you."

"I didn't make you do anything - and I think you just showed me your real self. If you're really my father, I'd be better off without one."

Tobey felt himself getting lighter, so light he rose into the air, and floated in front of Kong Li. He groaned, but couldn't talk, or move.

An aura formed around him, and Kong Li started chanting again.

"No! Hurry! Tobey might not be able to fight it this time." Sue nearly yelled at her brother and Nana.

"Sue!" Sid gasped, knowing they were caught.

Mei Hua was past being directly over the boiling vat, filled with mostly hot animal fat, and the hair and small bits of tissue that hadn't been strained out yet.

Sid and Sue were still directly over it, hanging from the cable with hands and knees.

Kong Li lost his concentration and Tobey fell to the concrete floor. Enraged, before he even looked up, Kong Li sent a fire ball from his hands toward the voices he'd heard.

The fireball just missed the cable right behind Sid, and exploded under the skylight. The force of the magical explosion blew Sid right off the cable. He fell toward the boiling surface of fat below.

Tobey regained his composure enough to look up. When he saw Sid falling, he was terrified, and everything came back to him.

"NO!" Tobey leaped up to the edge of a disused rendering vat and ran along the edge, before leaping again. He slammed into Sid, changing the angle of his fall just enough that he could grab another cable. Tobey held on around Sid's waist with one hand, until Sid grabbed onto the cable with both hands.

Sue was so relieved she almost fell off the cable that she was holding, but scrambled after Mei Hua.

"Thanks Tobey!" Sid said breathlessly. "Are you really back with us now?"

"Yeah, sorry I left you guys there for a while." Tobey strained to hold on, repositioning his hands. Sid was having trouble holding on too. He tried a pull up to hook his elbow over the cable, but missed. He barely grabbed back on in time to keep from falling.

They were hanging low over the vat. Low enough to feel the heat through their shoes, and the bubbling fat had put a fine layer of grease on the cable.

"Sid, try kicking your feet up!" Tobey yelled as he caught the cable himself with his heel. In an instant Tobey was hanging upside down by his knees. Just in time too. As Sid lost his grip, Tobey caught him by one wrist and one greasy hand. His hands were slippery, and it took every ounce of strength he had to hold on.

Kong Li screamed in anger, and prepared to throw another fireball at the boys to finish them off. Mei Hua body slammed him, striking him in the ribs with one elbow, and with a twist as he fell, she struck again with her other elbow. She landed on top of him, but he kicked her off.

"Sue - throw the blue bottle from my bag, under the boys!" Nana screamed as she went down after a round kick to her side, by Kong Li.

Sue scrambled to Mei Hua's bag and found the blue bottle. She stood up and threw it, at the same time that Kong Li launched another fire ball at Sid and Tobey.

"I don't need a son that bad!" Kong Li yelled, "Die with my enemies!"

Tobey Continued . . .


End file.
